Biography

Delores G. Kelley was elected to Maryland's House of Delegates in 1990 and the Maryland State Senate in 1994, where she represents the 10th Legislative District of Baltimore County (the first African-American Senator elected in Baltimore County). As one of the few educators in the Senate, Senator Kelley has led the way on education policy. A relentless fighter for the rights of our community members, Senator Kelley is a leader who stands up for the rights of Marylanders and is a strong consumer advocate.

Love for her community propelled her to get involved in local Democratic politics, where she was elected to the State Democratic Central Committee and was the State Party's Secretary from 1986-1990. In addition to her political work, Senator Kelley has always been involved in her community as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., having served as a former Board Member of the Baltimore Urban League and as President of the Black-Jewish Forum of Baltimore (BLEWS), as well as on the Mayor's Mental Health Advisory Council.

Although Senator Kelley retired from Coppin State University in 2004, where she served for 31 years as a professor and dean, her passion for public education continues, as she represents Maryland on the Education Commission of the States and is the Senate representative on the Maryland Council on Educator Effectiveness.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Executive Nominations, Member of the Joint Committee on Unemployment Insurance Oversight, Joint Committee on Ending Homelessness, as well as the Senate representative on the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, Delores works to improve consumer protections, the lives of vulnerable children and the circumstances of frail seniors. During her time in the Senate, 146 of her bills, and 556 bills she co-sponored, have been signed into Maryland law.

Senator Kelley is a resident of Randallstown and is married to her high school sweetheart, Dr. Russell Kelley, a retired Morgan professor. The Kelleys are proud parents of three children and the grandparents of three.